Extensible frame



July 22, 1930. M. HEDGLoN EXTENSIBLE FRAME Filed sept. 27, 1929 l l l i l Il INVENTOR ATTORNEY- Patented July v22, 1930 UNITED vSTABS vlaai-eterni OFFICE HEDGLN, OF SYRAC'USE, YRK, ASSIGNOR T0 HL L. OBEBDOBFEB BRASS COMPANY, OF SYBACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION F NEW YORK EXTEMSELE FRAME Application led. September a .This invention relates to an extensible frame, designed especially for supporting auto license .number plates ot various sizes, and has for its object to provide a novel construction and arran ement of trough-like anw dinally as well as transversely, at will, in 0rder to accommodate number plates of difierent lengths and breadths. A further object is to provide novel means for guiding the nested members, as well as to prevent accil5 dental detachment thereof. A further object is to provide complementary means for stopping the extensible movements of the several sections. And a further object is to provide means for locking the members of both series of sections to the number plate to prevent loosening and spreading of the frame, or detachment and loss of the plates.

lll attain these objects by the means set forth in the detailed. description whichfofllows, and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a front face view of the complete frame to which a number plate, or the like, is applied. Fig. 2 is a rear face view of the same vshowing the Aseveral guides,

stops, and locking tabs. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, showing one of the guides. Fig. 4 is a similar section, taken on line 4 4 of Fig.

l, showing the stop tab carried by one of the outer members. Fig. 5 is a similar section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1, showing one of the plate locking tabs in the operative, and inoperative positions. And Fig. 6 is a side elevation, in the direction ofthe arrow in Fig. 1.

In the drawing, A-A represent similar sections, which compose the frame, the sections beingarranged in pairs, and each pair l4,5 comprising similar L-shaped members, as

7, '1929.' Serial Eo. 395,701.

M', and the members of each section being transposed and staggered relatively to each other, as well as to the members of the companion section. rlhe sections A-A are formed trough-like or substantially semi-cylindrical in cross-section (see Figs. 3, 4 and A5) l throughout the combined length of their long and short arms, the section A being of smaller caliber than the section A, and preferably being molded to loosely nest and slide in the larger section, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In

the preferred arrangement, the long arms of the several series over-lap each other, and so also do the short arms of the sections. This enables the frame to be extended longitudinally a greater distance than it may be extended transversely, and tends to maintain. its oblong character, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When the sections AdA are assembled,

as ,shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the long armsef section A are'guided and held substantially concentric to the long arms of section A b guide lugs or tabs 2, which are formed at t e outer edges of the members a and are preferably bent or folded inwardly in a. manner to loosely Asupport the corresponding arms of the members a', as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3. rlhis e'ects the slidable interlocking of the long arms of the members aa, and enables the frame to be extended longitudinally, as described. The extensible nature of the frame lmay be understood by -the enlarged dotted showing inF ig. 1. The

ends of members a are formed with stop lugs or ears 3, that extend into the troughs (see Figs. 3 and 4), and the members a are formed at the outer edges of their 'long and short arms with tabs or ears 3', that may be folded inwardly'upon the concave-convex faces of the corresponding arms of members a (see Fig. 4) into the paths of and engage the angular stops 3, when the frame is lengthened to its full extent, to prevent detachment of the sections. The long and short arms of the members a are also formed with relatively broad ears or tabs 4, which primarily extend below the plane of the outer edges ot said arms, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5. After the sections A-A are assembled and interlocked by the stops 3 and the guides 2, the frame is inverted and a number plate, as B, laid face downwardly upon the rear concave face of the frame, as shown in Fig. 2. The frame may then be finally adjusted to conform to the plate, after which the tabs 4, and similar tabs 4 formed at the outer marns of the short arms of the members a', are

olded inwardly upon the rear face of the plate, for locking and holding the plate snugly against the frame, as shown in Fig.'

2. L1cense number plates are usually formed with concavo-convex ribs, as 6, the concave portions or sides of said ribs facing rearwardly and facilitating the locking of the sides and ends of the frame to the long and short margins of the plate, as may be understood by reference to Figs. 2 and 5. For this purpose, the tabs 4 and 4 are formed with complementary ribs, as 4a, as shown in Fig. 5, which conformably engage in the concave sides of the ribs.

My extensible frame is extremely simple and capable of ready and quick adjustment.

A The novel construction and arrangement of the corrugated L-sbaped members with their integral tabs and ears obviates the necessity of providing any extra or detachable parts, and enables any unskilled person to apply and remove number plates of different size, and also to effectually lock the frame sections to each other, aswell as to the plates, so that the whole may be handled as one rigid i part.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim is 1. An extensible frame for license number plates having continuous concave ribs, comprising an alternate arrangement of l..- shaped concaved members of different caliber, arranged in pairs, the smaller caliber members adapted to nest loosely in the concavities of the larger caliber members, means carried by the larger caliber members to loosely grip and guide the arms of the smaller caliber members, complementary stop means carried by both pairs of mem- 4 bers and disposed in the concavities of the smaller caliber members to prevent separa-` tion of the members when the frame is extended, and pliable tabs carried by the larger caliber members adapted to be folded inwardly to engage within the concavities of the ribs of the number plate to interlock all of said members against longitudinal and lateral movements. i

2. An extensible frame for number plates, and the like, including an alternate arrange'- ment of pairs of L-shaped concavo-convex members, the caliber of one pair of members being smaller than that of the other pair and adapted to nest and loosely slide therein,

the long as Well as the short arms of the two f separation of the members, an a series of tabs carried by the larger caliber members to interlock the several members of the frame with a number plate.

3. An extensible frame for license number plates including a nested arrangement of trough-like sections arranged in pairs, vthe members of each pair being L-shaped and being alternatively arranged relatively to each other, the long as well as the short arms `of the members of the two pairs being overlapped and slidable relatively to each other for extending and contracting the frame ,longitudinally and transversely, guide tabs carried by the larger caliber members adapted to be folded inwardly over the corr onding edges of the smaller caliber mem rs for slidably interlocking the companion members, stop lugs formed at the ends of the smaller caliber members and projecting into the troughs of said members, stop tabs carried by the larger caliber members adapted to be folded across the troughs of the smaller caliber members to be engaged by the stop lugs, and ears formed on the outer margins l of the larger andsmaller caliber members Vto engage the sides and ends of the plate and having parts iormed to seat against the outer face of the license plate, said frame being hollowed to receive the ribs of the license plate, and means on the frame having parts to engage in the concavities of the ribs of the license plate to hold the latter against the said parts of the frame that seat against the outer face of the license plate.

5. A frame for license number plates having concaved ribs, including a frame formed to engage the sides and ends of the plate and having parts formed to seat against the outer face of the license plate, said frame being hollowed to receive the ribs of vthe license plate, and spaced tabs on the frame having parts to engage in the concavities of the vribs of the license plate to hold the latter against the said parts of the frame that seat against the outer face of the license plate.

llfll 6. A11 extensible frame for license number plates including slidably connected pairs of concave-convex L-shaped members, one of the pairs having angular stop members projecting into the concavities thereof and one of the'sides of the other pair having parts which are extended over the adjacent sides and into theA concavities of the other pair, and formedto engage the stop lugs s'o as to restrict extending movement of the members.

'In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

MEAD HEDGLON. 

